Roofing or Siding questions?

[Berserker]

Ask me anything. I have been in the industry for over 40 years I will try and help.

[NNN0LHI]

1. What do you think about colors of Vinyl siding?

The guy that put mine on said he wouldn't put some colors on a house no matter what. He said some colors tend to fade out quickly. He said they have gotten a lot better at making the stuff but he was still skeptical.

Was he right?

Don

[Warpy]

2. I think so

because I've seen old red vinyl siding that looks pink and not a nice pink, a tacky plastic toy pink.

Maybe they have gotten better at it, but the sun will still fade it. Whether or not you choose it depends on how long you expect to live with it.

[Berserker]

5. There are brands that

guarantee no fade and have a lifetime warranty against fading.

[supernova]

3. What do you think about the new metal roofs?

I need to replace my older 25+ yo asphalt shingles. I was considering going with something more eco-friendly.

After I replace the roof, I intend to put in a SolaTube for a dark back bedroom/

[NNN0LHI]

4. Last roof I had put on I considered metal

I was advised they were a little noisy during heavy rains so I backed off.

Might be something to consider if there are not any light sleepers in the house?

Don

[Berserker]

6. I like metal roof applications

very much. You pay more for them to be installed but in my area Minnesota and Wisconsin I can show you metal roofs that are over 100 years old.

[Lugnut]

7. I need some advice on painting aluminum siding.

The siding on our house is about 30 years old. There are no dents in it or any other damage anywhere but the finish is a mess. My husband wants to paint it but he's not sure if he should use primer before he paints or not.

[Berserker]

8. Painting Aluminum siding

Here is a good video on this subject
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,1630897,00.html

[Lugnut]

9. Thanks!

The video was good for the prep work but I'm looking for definitive product info. The consensus of several expert opinions seems to be using an oil-based primer and a top shelf water-based paint. I think I'll stop by the Sherwin-Williams store tomorrow for product advice.

[LiberalEsto]

10. Can you recommend some materials, please?

It is extremely nice of you to offer your expertise.

We need to replace the roof on our house, but we're financially limited, since I've been unemployed for 2 years. We are refinancing our mortgage to pay for this.

There are 2 layers of asphalt shingles on the current roof. The attic is unfinished, with extra insulation added a few years ago. It gets extremely hot in summer.

What kind of roofing material would you recommend in order to get the best "bang for our buck"? The house is a 1967 rambler with a finished lower level. I don't know how to describe the roof slope - it's not flat, but it's moderate enough to walk on.

We're in central Maryland, where the summers can get hot and humid. We rarely get more than a few inches of snow. Last year's 3 feet of snow was unusual. I'm not terribly concerned with trendiness or appearance, but I think it might be good to get something fairly light in color to reflect heat.

Also, we have old rectangular vents on the gables. They don't seem to do much. Should we add an attic fans or ridge vent?

Thank you very much!
LE

[Berserker]

11. Hi LiberalEsto

If you have had any storms in the last 12 months you may want to get a contractor that is qualified in storm damage evaluation to check your roof and siding to see if you have any damage. This is a free service.
If you do have storm damage the contractor will have you call your insurance claims center. This will get and adjuster out to inspect your property.
If the adjuster agrees to the damage assessment the insurance company will pay for your roof and or siding and you will only be responsible for your deductible.
Or
Get several bids to do a cost comparison. There are two types of shingles you can choose from. The 25 year 3-Tab shingle and the 30 year architectural shingle.
The 3-Tab shingle is a lower cost application.
I always recommend ridge vent over any other vent IF you have proper soffit ventilation.
They need to balance. If you do install ridge vent make sure your contractor covers the gable end vends from the inside of the attic to prevent any short circuiting of ventilation.
If your roof is a hip roof you may be better off installing a power vent.
As for a shingle manufacturer we install thousands of squares of GAF/ELK Timberline 30 shingles per year and CertainTeed, Owens Corning running in far 2nd place.

I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask all the question you want.

[LiberalEsto]

12. Thanks, Berserker

This is really a great help.
The roof is a gable roof, and I don't see anything resembling soffit ventilation.
We haven't had any significant storm damage. Just one or two shingles flying off every year or so.

[Berserker]

13. We call that

Wind damage. That is covered this is why you pay your insurance premiums.